Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Heck yeah! And you can lower your risk for heart disease at any point in your life. Even if you are over the hill, or teetering on top of it.
A study published in the July 2007 issue of The American Journal of Medicine found that people 45 to 64 years of age who added healthy lifestyle behaviors could substantially reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.
Once these people achieved 4 healthy behaviors, eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables daily, exercising at least 2.5 hours per week, maintaining their Body …read more

If your doctor has prescribed aspirin, beta blockers, or statins to treat your heart disease, have you been good about taking them? If not, be forewarned.
A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown that heart patients who stopped taking these three drugs are three times more likely to die during the next year than patients who followed their prescribed regimen. One out of eight heart-attack patients, who were more likely to be older, single, and less educated, quit taking their meds within a month. Two of the main reasons patients don’t take …read more

Robyn Tippins of Inside Motherhood has one of the healthiest lifestyles I’ve seen in a while. She’s setting a great example for her four kids!
I don’t drink or smoke and I exercise daily (either pilates or on the treadmill). I taught pilates for years so this is usually what I do when I am watching TV. I listen to podcasts when I run.
I don’t eat as healthfully as I used to, but I’m breaking one bad habit at a time now. Maybe soon can get off of Diet Coke (it’s my worse habit right now)… I am careful to take …read more

Beatrice Vance of Waukegan, IL arrived at the emergency room of Vista Medical Center East at 10:15 pm on July 28 complaining of chest pains. After sitting in the waiting room for more than two hours, she was found unconscious and without a pulse. At 2 a.m., she was pronounced dead of a heart attack because of a blocked artery.
Deputy Coroner Robert Barrett said Beatrice Vance’s symptoms should have alerted hospital personnel to administer an electrocardiogram, conduct cardiac monitoring, and administer blood thinners and other medications. None of this was done in time. The coroner’s jury ruled Ms. Vance’s …read more

The Healthy Eating, Diet and Fitness Blog Carnival No.7 is now available at IateApie.net! It’s interesting to see all the various approaches to living a hearty, healthy life. Any amount of effort is worth it so even if you succumbed to that can of soda or chocolate bar today, I bet you can do something else to compensate. Keep going and never give up!

Grand Rounds Vol. 2, Number 50 is up today at Clinical Cases and Images. Dr. Wes contributed a post about cardiologist Dr. B and his counterintuitive approach to heart disease. I won’t spoil it by posting an excerpt here although it’s a definite must-read for anyone wondering about death by heart disease or cancer.
Dr. Wes: Perfecting Social Graces

via Problogger

Psychosomatic? The Boston Red Sox is currently 71 (wins)-61 (losses) and has lost four straight games. Their star player, David Ortiz aka Big Papi, contender for the American League’s Most Valuable Player award has been experiencing irregular heartbeat.
He received his first cardiovascular work-up on August 19th after the Red Sox were defeated 13-5 by the New York Yankees. And again on Monday before they lost to the Oakland A’s.
Drugs, including anabolic steroids, can cause heartbeat irregularities, but people should not jump to that conclusion because there are many possible causes, [Dr. Michael A.] Coady said. Stress and overtraining can also …read more

An article in the New York Times discusses the higher than average rate of angioplasties in Elyria, Ohio which is mainly attributed to cardiologists at the local hospital.
Whether the preference for angioplasty is good for the patients of Elyria is open to medical debate. The cardiology group’s leader says the high rate of angioplasties is simply a function of his doctors’ detecting disease more often in their patients than physicians elsewhere might spot, and being quicker to intervene.
With heart disease being the number one killer in industrialized countries, cardiac healthcare easily earns doctors money which could be a motivating force …read more

This month, I’m vacationing in California where it’s a beautiful sunny summer. Perfect weather for exercising my heart, but I must confess that I’m busier shopping. Matt Thornton of Six & Out, however, is an athlete who would definitely take advantage of California living. His Hearty Habits make me want to jump up and run out!
I’ve been cycling for as long as I can remember. When I was at University I used to cycle everywhere – to class, to the shops, swimming everything. Now that I live in Guernsey which is quite a small …read more